Mavka was a Corporalnik like no other, a theif like no other, and a little sparrow among a murder of crows.
Her safe haven was with the boy with the cane and the pretty eyes, despite the two seeming like opposite ends of a live wire, and now they h...
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Kaz had been trying to keep himself busy for roughly four days straight. An unwanted voice in his head constantly rattled at him, telling him he should go below deck and see Mavka with his own eyes; the last he could recall, she looked like death, and it may well have taken her that night had he not found her. That thought in particular didnt sit right with him. So he pushed that voice to the back of his mind and ignored it like he had done for years.
The more you played on a thought, the worse the outcome. It was like adding fuel to a fire. All it needed was a spark, that initial prompting, and then it would be left to get out of control.
And Kaz Brekker wasnt keen on situations where he wasn't in complete control.
So he busied himself. Worked harder on the plan, got more details from Helvar, spoke to Jesper and Wylan over specifics to ensure they knew what they'd be doing. When Nina and Inej were on the main deck they would do the same. Nina mainly spoke about Mavka and how she was doing.
Her persistence annoyed him to no end but at the same time he appreciated hearing it, though he would be seen dead before he admitted it.
She had told him their little Shadow was awake, alive, and still he had to be stubborn and ignore the fact that he was itching to see her face. Just to make sure. Just to see for himself.
An equally unwanted voice in his head told him he was a coward for not doing so. He'd combat it, reassuring himself that they needed to focus on the plan and everyone else's lives that could be at stake if he didn't have every outcome covered.
The voice would laugh, taking him back to his childhood. He'd then dream of a scarlet ribbon clutched in the hands of his six year old self, and there was that feeling again. He hated how much the voice sounded like Jordie.
Midnight was now behind him and the early morning was going to break in a matter of hours. Kaz was headed towards the back of the ship where he usually dwelled when sleep avoided him and the nights were bad; most were.
Jordie's voice rang in his ears, childlike and teasing and even more pressing in his skull. The pain in his leg as he hobbled towards the rail, where he usually sat for a brief moment of quiet, did a lot to frustrate him further. He allowed himself to limp heavily under the prying eyes of no one but the stars above them, the rare second of peace causing the teasing voice to amplify.
He gripped his leg as he went, jaw clenching. He did well to conceal his emotions outwardly, but alone they were what kept adding drops of fuel into the fire.
And then he saw a figure sat on the floor beside two crates, small and reclined against the rail with their legs outstretched and a hand pressed over their stomach. Just below where he usually sat.
And then just like that, the voice ceased.
His steps faltered for just a moment, but he didnt allow himself to show any outward emotion but vague surprise with a raised brow. He continued, more purpose in his steps now, and scanned her appearance the moment he got within feet of her, finding he couldnt help it.
